So I return from my LONG hiatus from blogging, to bring a new update... :) My apologies for being quite delinquint in writing.
Today I made my first visit to a doctor's office to try and gain as much experience and wisdom as possible. I left, having walked down Hastings, having been offered methadone for sale, and having chatted with 2 gentlemen, one who lived in an SRO and the other at a Salvation Army. They shared with us their passions, which included confabulated stories of their past and present, and their dreams for a newer, better world that was coming soon. We ascertained that one was feeling quite healthy and was taking his medications properly, and obtained a signature to allow for a transfer of financial authority.
Not quite what would be expected in a traditional Family Practice office, but then you learn not to expect much when you work in Geriatric Mental Health. One client we were supposed to meet, shortly before we left, we found out that he wasn't home. Each person we went to see we wondered if they would actually be there. Many of the clients do not like doctors, and so you don't tell them that you are a doctor.
All in all, it was quite a different experience, but one that I enjoyed, and I am excited to learn more about as I spend the next 3 weeks there. Healthcare in the Downtown East Side is a completely different dimension of healthcare than anything I've ever encountered before, and I'm looking forward to what I'll learn from that experience over the next month.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Day 1 Observations
So I'm in Vancouver!
Here are a few of my observations about this new place from my first full day here:
1) UBC is huge! I spent 1 hour + walking today - not that that was a bad thing - except that I chose the worst footwear possible :) I did get lost, but had fun exploring parts of UBC that I might not have seen for a while otherwise!
2) Bus drivers are quite nice here, and people are courteous of them.
3) When the bus driver is ahead of schedule, he just might pull over to the side of the road (blocking a lane of traffic, mind) and grab himself a Tim Hortons coffee!
3) If's fun to embarrass yourself by standing facing a certain building on the opposite side of the street, and then ask the nearest pedestrian where said building is. :)
4) There are saveons in Vancouver, quite a new addition to the city, and so they're quite nice because they're so new! And there's lovely underground parking - that's free if you buy something at saveon :)
5) It's good to keep coffee cards (buy 9, get 10th free) for a long time, even decades, because you just might run into another coffeeshop from the same chain again - you might even find yourself living a block away from it! And hey, then you're halfway to a free coffee! :)
6) The most important thing about Vancouver - people look at you when you pass them and they smile at you!
I like Vancouver...
And an extra... I learned a new word today...netiquette - basically email etiquette. Is the message you're going to send relevant to all receivers and is it appropriate to be published en masse? We all know I'm pretty inappropriate...I'll have to be careful.
Here are a few of my observations about this new place from my first full day here:
1) UBC is huge! I spent 1 hour + walking today - not that that was a bad thing - except that I chose the worst footwear possible :) I did get lost, but had fun exploring parts of UBC that I might not have seen for a while otherwise!
2) Bus drivers are quite nice here, and people are courteous of them.
3) When the bus driver is ahead of schedule, he just might pull over to the side of the road (blocking a lane of traffic, mind) and grab himself a Tim Hortons coffee!
3) If's fun to embarrass yourself by standing facing a certain building on the opposite side of the street, and then ask the nearest pedestrian where said building is. :)
4) There are saveons in Vancouver, quite a new addition to the city, and so they're quite nice because they're so new! And there's lovely underground parking - that's free if you buy something at saveon :)
5) It's good to keep coffee cards (buy 9, get 10th free) for a long time, even decades, because you just might run into another coffeeshop from the same chain again - you might even find yourself living a block away from it! And hey, then you're halfway to a free coffee! :)
6) The most important thing about Vancouver - people look at you when you pass them and they smile at you!
I like Vancouver...
And an extra... I learned a new word today...netiquette - basically email etiquette. Is the message you're going to send relevant to all receivers and is it appropriate to be published en masse? We all know I'm pretty inappropriate...I'll have to be careful.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Change...
It's here!
Tomorrow I move to Vancouver to start my new life in the big city. And I feel rather small...
Following the move, I start Orientation on Wednesday for 3 days (which is almost the scariest part of it all for me!), take a First Aid course on the weekend, and then start classes on Monday! And I need to find my way to UBC on the bus, and then make sure I know how to get to all the various buildings out at UBC! Rather daunting and overwhelming...
The last few weeks have been really nice, however. They've been filled with a lot of relaxing. It's funny, the only place I truly feel like I can relax is at my parents' place - and so I have... I moved out of my place at the end of July, and for the past 3 weeks, have stayed at my parents' place until I could move into Vancouver.
What these last few weeks have looked like:
I also vacuumed my car, as it needed it, and I figured, it might be the last time in a while that I could vacuum it for free. Alas, I couldn't wash my car, as there's a ban on car washing right now! (water restrictions...)
It's weird, I'm not quite sure I know what to think of the fact that I'm starting med school in about a week and a day! Mostly, I think I've avoided thinking about it. Not that I'm dreading it, but it just feels like the next month is going to be overwhelming. I'm not a big one on change, although when I'm in it, I do quite fine. It's beforehand as I contemplate the change that I'm not as thrilled with it all.
Well, we'll see what God has in store for me in these next days, weeks and months! I know he'll keep on walking right beside me!
Tomorrow I move to Vancouver to start my new life in the big city. And I feel rather small...
Following the move, I start Orientation on Wednesday for 3 days (which is almost the scariest part of it all for me!), take a First Aid course on the weekend, and then start classes on Monday! And I need to find my way to UBC on the bus, and then make sure I know how to get to all the various buildings out at UBC! Rather daunting and overwhelming...
The last few weeks have been really nice, however. They've been filled with a lot of relaxing. It's funny, the only place I truly feel like I can relax is at my parents' place - and so I have... I moved out of my place at the end of July, and for the past 3 weeks, have stayed at my parents' place until I could move into Vancouver.
What these last few weeks have looked like:
- I've gotten together with a good number of people,
- tied up last minute things,
- got to hold a couple babies,
- got to play with lots of kids,
- gone boating with my family on my brother's "new to him, but quite old!" boat,
- gone blackberry picking with my dad and sister,
- said good bye to work, had a staff good bye party - fun!,
- watched lots of movies, esp old tv series'! and Wind in the Willow - lovely!
I also vacuumed my car, as it needed it, and I figured, it might be the last time in a while that I could vacuum it for free. Alas, I couldn't wash my car, as there's a ban on car washing right now! (water restrictions...)
It's weird, I'm not quite sure I know what to think of the fact that I'm starting med school in about a week and a day! Mostly, I think I've avoided thinking about it. Not that I'm dreading it, but it just feels like the next month is going to be overwhelming. I'm not a big one on change, although when I'm in it, I do quite fine. It's beforehand as I contemplate the change that I'm not as thrilled with it all.
Well, we'll see what God has in store for me in these next days, weeks and months! I know he'll keep on walking right beside me!
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Hm...very strange!
The weirdest thing happened to me the other day. I received a piece of mail that was addressed to... Dr. Esther Warkentin! That was a very strange feeling! I don't know what to do! I think this was the first formal document with that title. Not that it means much at this point, but it's kind of cool!
Personally, I think I'm still very much at the "quack" stage :)
Personally, I think I'm still very much at the "quack" stage :)
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Preparations for school
I can't believe that I'm starting med school in just a couple weeks! There's been a lot of prep to get ready - getting immunizations up to date, looking into lines of credit, housing, etc. I'm really grateful that last year, when I was waitlisted, that I never got off the waitlist. I could have technically been accepted as late as the end of August, but that would have been stressful extraordinaire! I'm super glad that I've had all this time to get ready to start school.
A huge answer to prayer has been in housing. I asked God to provide me with housing that was within my budget (although I wasn't sure what that budget should be expected to be!). I didn't ask for much, although I knew that God would provide exactly what I needed. But I didn't expect him to go beyond that. And he did! God blessed me with an apartment south of one of Vancouver's hospitals for a phenomenal rent price (cheaper than what I'm paying now in Abbotsford!) and a great roommate! I think I can and will learn a lot from her in terms of communication, which will be great for me :) She isn't just interested in sharing space, but in creating a home, so to speak, and I'm super excited about that!
A huge answer to prayer has been in housing. I asked God to provide me with housing that was within my budget (although I wasn't sure what that budget should be expected to be!). I didn't ask for much, although I knew that God would provide exactly what I needed. But I didn't expect him to go beyond that. And he did! God blessed me with an apartment south of one of Vancouver's hospitals for a phenomenal rent price (cheaper than what I'm paying now in Abbotsford!) and a great roommate! I think I can and will learn a lot from her in terms of communication, which will be great for me :) She isn't just interested in sharing space, but in creating a home, so to speak, and I'm super excited about that!
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
Treasured moments
The Wiebe's invited me to their girls' school play "Tom Sawyer". I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the girls perform their parts with great diligence. Anya was a dog, fully regaled in dog costume (I had to be corrected by her, as initially I thought she was a lion). I could see the look of determination on her face, as she did her level best to not mess up, but to keep all the actions straight. Her sense of rhythm was absolutely remarkable for a girl of 5! Maia had a beautific radiance about her! They both made me so proud to be a part of their lives! I seriously felt like a doting aunt watching them perform! I had brought a couple of red roses for them, and it was so much fun to watch their reactions when I gave them to each girl - and enjoyed the exuberant hugs from each of them :)
Just days before, they had come to my vocal recital, which was so special to have their whole family there! They were both so excited to see me and watch me perform! Afterwards, Maia said to me, "Esther, we got a little wiggly at the end, so we had to go out and run around!" But they really did marvelously, considering they were sitting for 1+ hours!
Oh, and as an update on my recital, it went super well! I had an absolute blast! (is that allowed of the presenter?) But I did! It was so special to have so many people who mean so much to me all in one place to support me! I was on Cloud 9 all evening! I think at some point, I'll be able to upload some video clips (or add links) of some of the various songs.
Just days before, they had come to my vocal recital, which was so special to have their whole family there! They were both so excited to see me and watch me perform! Afterwards, Maia said to me, "Esther, we got a little wiggly at the end, so we had to go out and run around!" But they really did marvelously, considering they were sitting for 1+ hours!
Oh, and as an update on my recital, it went super well! I had an absolute blast! (is that allowed of the presenter?) But I did! It was so special to have so many people who mean so much to me all in one place to support me! I was on Cloud 9 all evening! I think at some point, I'll be able to upload some video clips (or add links) of some of the various songs.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
News!
So I've been waiting for the past 3 months to find out whether or not I'd be accepted to UBC's med program for the fall. It's been a huge process, and my journey toward that goal now almost spans a decade.
May 15 was the day I would find out if I was accepted or not - or if I was waitlisted, as I discovered last year (not to be taken off the waitlist, though...). That morning, I really wanted to spend some time with God thinking through and processing what I was feeling going into that big, momentous day. I did some journaling, which helps to clear the fuzzy cobwebs that typically tangle up my contemplations. I'll share it here, because it's an important prelude to the results of the day.
At 11:30 am, I checked my email to find an email from UBC stating that I had been accepted to UBC's Medical Program!
The last couple days have felt quite surreal to me, as the information settles. I still don't feel like it has truly happened! I keep on shaking my head, thinking - it can't be me! But it is me!
One really neat thing about this is that I really take it as a confirmation from the Lord that this is what he wants for me. I have struggled over the years, even as I worked toward this goal, of wondering and praying, God, is this really what you have in store for me? Oftentimes, I don't feel like God tangibly speaks to me or reveals specific directions to me. But with medical school and going into medicine, I have both explicitly and implicitly held to the conviction that if God wanted me to pursue medicine - if he really did give me the gifts and abilities to pursue this track, then he would get me in. And if I got into medical school, it was solely - 100%! - because it was part of God's plan for me. And so this is a tremendous confirmation for me that yes, this is the direction God has for me to take at this point in my life. That's also a promise I will hold onto when the difficult times come, and I wonder - "what was I ever thinking??!" God will supply what I need because this is his path that I am walking down (well, right now skipping down!)
May 15 was the day I would find out if I was accepted or not - or if I was waitlisted, as I discovered last year (not to be taken off the waitlist, though...). That morning, I really wanted to spend some time with God thinking through and processing what I was feeling going into that big, momentous day. I did some journaling, which helps to clear the fuzzy cobwebs that typically tangle up my contemplations. I'll share it here, because it's an important prelude to the results of the day.
Today I find out from UBC whether or not I'm accepted into the med program this year. I think the biggest struggle I've had while waiting to find out is whether or not to hope for it. Or maybe it's "How much do I hope for this?" Because there's no guarantee, and even now, God might be saying "no, now is not the time"; or "I have a different path for you". So then my hope has been in vain!
Something that Bitsy and I have been dialoguing about recently is the whole idea of "What do we hope for?" Do we hope for circumstances that we've prayed for? Because then when/if God has to say "no" repeatedly, our hope can be shattered!
I've been studying Romans recently, and a certain passage really impacted me: Romans 5:3-5 "...we...rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us."
So, my conclusion is that while hoping in circumstances isn't entirely - or at all - a bad thing, if that's the only place we're putting our hope, then yes, it is. Because then our hope will disappoint us and it will not be sustainable. But instead, we need to place our hope in the Creator of our circumstances - Jesus Christ. Because in him all hope is fulfilled. In him our hope will never be disappointed. He may still say "no, not yet", or "I want you to do something else", but if our hope is truly in him, then we hope in what he is going to do for us, knowing that what he does will be both for his greatest good, and our greatest good.
So I hope in Jesus, and in particular, in his character. I know and I place my hope in the knowledge that he is good and that he loves me and that he is omniscient and omnipotent. He knows what's going to happen today and he is in control of it. And he loves me so much that he will do what's best for me - regardless of what that turns out to be.
In Him I place my hope.
At 11:30 am, I checked my email to find an email from UBC stating that I had been accepted to UBC's Medical Program!
The last couple days have felt quite surreal to me, as the information settles. I still don't feel like it has truly happened! I keep on shaking my head, thinking - it can't be me! But it is me!
One really neat thing about this is that I really take it as a confirmation from the Lord that this is what he wants for me. I have struggled over the years, even as I worked toward this goal, of wondering and praying, God, is this really what you have in store for me? Oftentimes, I don't feel like God tangibly speaks to me or reveals specific directions to me. But with medical school and going into medicine, I have both explicitly and implicitly held to the conviction that if God wanted me to pursue medicine - if he really did give me the gifts and abilities to pursue this track, then he would get me in. And if I got into medical school, it was solely - 100%! - because it was part of God's plan for me. And so this is a tremendous confirmation for me that yes, this is the direction God has for me to take at this point in my life. That's also a promise I will hold onto when the difficult times come, and I wonder - "what was I ever thinking??!" God will supply what I need because this is his path that I am walking down (well, right now skipping down!)
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